There's More to Life than Just Potato Chips- (The Blog Behind the TEE!)

I’ve been thinking a lot about happiness. I guess, I worry that something is going to kick in and suddenly I’ll have a hard time adjusting to being retired. When you work, your life has a certain ebb and flow.  You don’t question what you will do on such and such day, at such and such time. You already know, probably down to the minute, what your day is going to be like. 

I did. I knew exactly what time I needed to be out of the house to avoid traffic. I knew what time I would eat lunch. I knew what time to go home and exactly what I’d do as I walked through the door each evening. When I wanted to get away, I’d plan a vacation. Sometimes waiting months before I could find enough time to take off to relax. 

But being retired, at least for me, seems to be the process of waking up every morning to decide where my day will go. Sometimes I make a to do list. Other times, I just have one goal in mind, and fill in the time with small tasks. There is an endless supply of work that gets backed up, when you get sick. 

I know I needed this freedom. Sometimes my pain level dictates my activities. But in a sense, sometimes I miss having the gauge to determine if, at the end of the day, I’ve done enough. 

This type of thinking worries me. It makes me question the beliefs I’ve carried most of my life. Beliefs about hard work and purpose. It makes me question whether I should have prioritized more time just being alive. 

Why did I have to retire to learn to enjoy the sight of a sundown, without fanfare. Or maybe to be okay with feeling a nice breeze.  Why did I need to make or create some tangible proof that my time was not being wasted? 

I think our societal norms deprive us from living life fully.  We give the best of ourselves to our professions. We dedicate such an inordinate amount of time towards things that don’t feed our souls. We grow old and worn out. Most of us will never know what it is like to dance under the stars with abandon. 

And that’s where the problem lies: many of the things that we pursue aren’t capable of satisfying us. It’s kind of like trying to fill up on potato chips. Potato chips may ease your hunger for a while, but they don’t produce the same level of satisfaction that you’d receive from an actual meal.  If you live on potato chips long enough, you'll find yourself seriously malnourished. 

I am beginning to think the key to happiness is retirement. Not in hanging up your apron and heading for the door. But in learning how to appreciate time. Learning how to just be in the moment and not always working towards some goal. 

Have you ever evaluated the things that you are giving your time and attention to?  Have you found areas in your life where you are taking on too much? I recently found myself becoming anxious over my plans. When I stepped back to examine the cause, I realized the issue. I had a lot to do, but some of it wasn’t necessary. There were some activities that could be postponed or cancelled altogether. 

By including unnecessary things, I was bogging down my schedule. I was giving what precious time I had to things that served me no purpose at all. It makes for a full day and deep sleep, but no joy or fulfillment. 

We fool ourselves into thinking that this is how things should be. But is that really true? Is this all there is? Maybe there should be more to life than just potato chips. 

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